Archive for April, 2010

Last night’s meeting was packed full of information and decisions. Below are a few highlights. If you’d like more information on anything, feel free to contact me. A more detailed summary will also be available on the district’s website.

The board discussed moving a minimum of .5 mills of inside millage to a Permanent Improvement Fund (PI). This would result in NO increase in taxes – it simply shifts approximately $490,000 from the General Fund to a segregated account that can be used only for future building maintenance on the new construction.You may have heard about other districts in the area, most notably West Clermont, moving inside millage as a way to increase revenue through increased taxes without having to have the increase voted in. We are using the same process, but with what we’re doing, there will absolutely be no tax increase. This has to do with the amount of inside millage we have. Taxes would increase only if we move over 3.8 mills, and we will be no where close to this. Moving just .5 mills will simply “allocate” funds for maintenance – funds we already have, and funds we likely would be spending on maintenance anyway.We are required by the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission to have at least .5 mills set aside for PI before we can receive any matching funds from our construction projects. Since we may be eligible for our first round of matching funds in the next few years, we must get the PI fund set up soon.

All other options for creating a PI fund would involve additional levies and increased taxes. By moving millage, we are simply earmarking funds that would have been used for maintenance in the first place.

We will continue discussing this over the next several months, including looking at a maintenance plan Operations Manager Jeff Johnson is developing and evaluating the overall impact on the budget.

The MHS Athletic Boosters made their second donation installment of $85,100 toward the new athletic field complex. They have three additional years in the agreement with the school board to donate $425,500 over a period of five years. They already have approximately 80% of next year’s $85,100 payment in their capital fund.

The board approved bidding for approximately $400,000 from remaining bond issue funds to replace about 20 windows in the high school ($102,000) and to renovate the pool area ($300,000).

The board approved a resolution to sign an agreement with Turner Construction to add a 4-room wing to the Junior High. This will help alleviate space pressure at the Junior High currently and especially as larger classes move up through the grades. It will also become a seamless part of future Junior High expansions and renovations.